1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting tools used in metalworking operations and in particular, to an indexable cutting insert having a geometry which promotes chip control during metalworking operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During a metalworking operation, material is removed by a cutting tool from a workpiece. To maximize efficiency and minimize the potential for damage caused by this material, cutting tools are designed to remove this material and thereafter to reduce this material into short segments known as chips. Designers of such cutting tools are constantly looking for designs which will promote and control the formation of chips which generally is referred to as chip control. As a result, the many types of machining operations have precipitated an equal number of chip control designs. However, as machining operations become more and more demanding, designers are continuously seeking improved chip control features which will make metalworking operations more efficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,303 disclosed a cutting insert having a plurality of undulating grooves extending inwardly toward the center of the insert along a cutting edge. The grooves in this design are perpendicular to the cutting edge. However, the unrestrained path of a chip upon a cutting insert is in a direction that is not perpendicular to the cutting edge and, as a result, the direction of the grooves in this patent may not work in concert with the flow of chips.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cutting insert which promotes the formation of chips by incorporating a chip control pattern more closely simulating the natural path a chip flows after it is removed from a workpiece.